Skateboarding Guides: From First Push to Kickflip (2026)
Setup, sizing, tricks, maintenance and gear for street, park and bowl skating.
What This Hub Covers
This is the home for everything about standard skateboards: the double-kick "popsicle" decks used for street and park skating. Longboards and surfskates have their own hub, and so do roller skates and rollerblades.
New skaters should work through three guides first: how to learn to skateboard, the skateboard size chart and the best skateboards for beginners. After that, pick the guides that match what you're working on.
All Skateboarding Guides
Buying Guides
13- Buying guideBest Cruiser Skateboards
- Buying guideBest Kids' Skateboards
- Buying guideBest RipStik Caster Boards
- Buying guideBest Skate Shoes
- Buying guideBest Skateboard Backpacks
- Buying guideBest Skateboard Bearings
- Buying guideBest Skateboard Brands
- Buying guideBest Skateboard Decks
- Buying guideBest Skateboard Grip Tape
- Buying guideBest Skateboard Helmet
- Buying guideBest Skateboard Racks
- Buying guideBest Skateboard Wheels
- Buying guideBest Skateboards for Beginners
How-To Guides & Explainers
8- How-to & infoGifts for Skateboarders
- How-to & infoHow to Clean Griptape
- How-to & infoHow to Kickflip
- How-to & infoHow to Ollie
- How-to & infoIs Skateboarding Good Exercise?
- How-to & infoSkateboard Size Chart
- How-to & infoSkateboard Tricks List
- How-to & infoTypes of Skateboards
Build a Setup That Suits Your Skating
A complete skateboard is a set of choices that work together. Wider decks with taller trucks and softer wheels suit cruising and transition. Narrower decks with lower trucks and harder wheels suit technical street skating.
| Part | Street | Park and Bowl | Cruising |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck width | Around 7.75"–8.25" | Around 8.25"–8.75" | Wider, often with a kicktail |
| Wheels | Smaller, harder | Medium, hard | Larger, softer |
| Trucks | Lower, matched to deck width | Mid to high | Higher, with risers if needed |
| Guide | Street setup | Bowl and pool setup | Cruiser boards |
These ranges are common starting points, not rules. Shoe size and personal feel matter too.
Learn Tricks in a Sensible Order
Skipping fundamentals is the fastest way to stall. Work through stance, pushing, turning and stopping before tricks. Then learn the ollie, and use the trick learning order to choose what comes next. The tricks list names and explains the common tricks.
Fix It Before You Replace It
Squeaky trucks, slow bearings and wheel bite can usually be fixed at home with a skate tool. See fixing squeaky trucks, cleaning bearings, wheel bite and truck tightness. A skate tool handles most jobs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to learn to skateboard?
Most people can push, ride and turn comfortably within a few weeks of regular sessions. Tricks like the ollie usually take longer. Our guide to how long it takes to get good at skateboarding sets realistic expectations.
What is the first trick to learn on a skateboard?
After pushing, turning and stopping, most skaters learn the kick turn and then the ollie. The ollie is the base for most street tricks.
Can adults learn to skateboard?
Yes. Plenty of people start or return as adults. Protective gear and a stable setup matter more, and progress comes from short, regular sessions.